Gkegory j



G. SPOHRE R.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATiON FILED JULY 2,1917.

Patented July 1, 1919.

mw 9 I ulllu llirl 1.

@Houwu THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPI! c0. WASHINGTON. n. c.

onrrno srnrns rnrn vr i s ion GREGORY J. SPOHREB, or nasr joismiven, NewJnnsnY, nssrenon or ONE-HALE To CHARLES E. VAN vnnoxyor Mormonism, newJERSEY.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Iate 'ited July 1, 1919.

Application filed July 2, 1917. Se1'ia1No.,178,08Q.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, Ganconr J SroHRnR, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will en-. able othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to founcyele internal combustion engines of thetype in which the inlet and exhaust valves are operated directly by thepiston in itsreciprocatory movement within the cylinder to open thevalves alternately in successive revolutions of the engine shaft, theinlet valve being opened during the suction stroke of the piston and theexhaust valve being opened at the conclusion or near the conclusion ofthe power stroke. Broadly stated, the object of the invention is toprovide asimple form of valve mechanism for controlling the inlet of thecombustible fuel to the cylinders of a four-cycle engine and the exit ofthe prod nets of combustion from the cylinder and to eliminate theobjectionable cam shaft, cams and push rods now commonly used to operatethe inlet and exhaust valves. More specifically, the invention relatesto improvements in the construction of valve gearing for internalcombustion engines of the type illustrated and described 111 anapplication for patent filed by m onMay 22, 1917, and

serially numbered 17 0,202, and the object of the invention is toprovidean improvedand simplified construction for a valve gearing of thetypeillustrated and described in that application.

In accordance with the present invention the inlet and exhaust valves ofan internal combustion engine are operated alternately in successiverevolutions of the engine shaft by a direct connection from the pistonto the valves. This connection extends from the piston upwardly throughthe head of the engine and carries a pivoted cross-head, the ends ofwhich are connected to the stems of the two valves, The distinguishingfeature of the invention resides in the arrangement of the spring meansfor holding the two valves closed except when they are positively openedby the connection from the valves to the piston and also in thearrangement of having it opened positively theparts whereby the exhaustvalve, when positively opened by the connection to the pistoinis heldopen throughout all or practically all. of the exhaust stroke of theengine until it is positivelyclosed by the connection to the piston. Asingle spring is cmployed for holding thetwo valves normally closed andthis spring is arranged horizontally or at right angles to the axes ofthe stems of the valves upon which it acts. The tension of this springis exerted to extend two telescopic members, which constitute one of themembers of two toggles to each of which one of the valve stems isconnected. During each downward movement of the piston the connectionfrom the piston to the valve gear operates to straighten one of thesetwo toggles against the tension of the spring and the particular oneofthe two toggles which is selected for operation depends upon theconditions existing in the cylinder at that time. For this purpose theinlet valve is made of considerably greater area than the exhaust valveso that it will be opened when the pressure in the cylinder is very lowor when a partial vacuum exists in the cylinder during the inlet stroke;and at the end of the power stroke, when a substantial pressure existswithin the cylinder, the inlet valvewill be held upon its seat by reasonof itsgreaterareaand the exhaust valve alone will be operated.

Such a construction as that above outlined is of special value in thatit may be so readily adapted for holding the exhaust valve open duringthe period of time from the opening of the valve at or near the end ofthe power stroke by the downward movementof thc piston to the closing ofthe valve at or near the conclusion of the exhaust 95 stroke by theupward movement of the piston. For this purpose it isonly necessary toso arrange the; parts of the toggle to which the stem of the exhaustvalve is con nected that the opening movement of the exhaust valvecarriesthe toggle across center.

The spring for actuating the toggle will then serve to hold the exhaustvalve in the open position until thatvalve is positively closcdwby theupward movement of the piston resulting in moving the toggle back acrosscenter again. The inlet valve, on the other hand, need be held inthe 0 mposition for only a verybriei interval. Instead of by the down" wardmovement of the piston, it may be o)ened b the suction )roduced in the clinder by the downward movement of the piston. Therefore, the'toggle towhich this mlet valve 13 connected is not so arranged as to have 1t moveacross center when the inlet valve is opened and consequently the byreference to the accompanying drawings in connection with the followingdescription,

. which set forth the preferred embodin'ie'nt of the invention. In thesedrawings, Figure 1 1s a central sectlon through the cylinder "of aninternal combustion engine showing the valve gear in elevation; Fig. 2is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transversesection through the cylinder, the piston, and the end of the connectingrod showing the relative position of the connection from the piston tothe valves.

Referring to these drawings, the cylinder 4, piston 5, connecting rod 6and water jacket 7 are of the usual or any suitable construction. Theupper end of the cylinder is closed by adetachable head 8 provided withpassages 9 and 10 therethrough controlled by the inlet valve 11 andexhaust valve 12 respectively. The stems 13 and 14 of the inlet andexhaust valves respectively extend up through elongated hearings in thecasting 8.

The stems 13 and 14 of the two valves are extended by pivotallyconnected links 33 and; 34: which are slotted intermediate their endsand these slots receive circular ends of a cross-head 15. Thiscross-head is pivotally connected at its center to the upper end of arod 16. which extends downwardly through 'a bearing in the casting 8 andthrough the top wall of the piston 5, and the lower end of rod 16 isenlarged as shown at .17. This lower end of the rod lies within a tube18 which is secured to and lies within the piston 5. The position ofthis tube 18 with respect to the piston 5 is shown in Fig. 3. The tubeis placed as near the axis of the piston as it can be conveniently, 7but is displaced from the, plane of oscillation of the connecting rod 6,as indicated by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 3, and also it isdisplaced laterally from the short shaft 19 connecting the piston 5 andconnecting rod 6. At the ends of the tube 18 are buffers 20 of someyielding material such as rubber. The upper end of the tube is closed bya threaded annulus 21.

Between the upper ends of the links 33 and 3 1 on the stems 13 and 14:of the inlet and exhaust valves is a coiled spring 22 whose primaryfunction is to hold the valves 11 and 12 closed until they arepositively opened. This spring is horizontally disposed, that is, itlies at right angles to the aXes of the valve stems 13 and let. Its endsbear upon circumferential flanges formed on two telescopic members 23and 24 which are pivotally connected at their outer ends to the upperends of the links 33 and 34-. 1 link 25 is pivotally connected at oneend to the point of connection of the link 33 and member 23; at itsopposite end it is pivotally connected to a standard 26 on the head 8.This link 25 and the members and 2st together form a toggle to thecenter of which the link 33 on the stem 13 of the inlet valve isconnected. A link 27 has one end pivotally connected to the point ofconnec tion of the link 34 on the stem 14: of the exhaust valve and themember 21; the other end of this link 27 is pivotally connected to theupper end of a standard 28 on the head 8. This link 27 and thetelescopic members 23 and 24 together form a toggle to the center ofwhich the link 34: on the stem 14: is connected. Preferably provision ismade for effecting an adjustment of the outer end of the link 27. Forthis purpose this end of the link may be pivotally connected to a block29 movable in a guideway forn'led on the upper end of the stem 28 andheld in any selected position of adjustment by screws 30.

Provision may be made, if desired, for assisting the spring 22 in theopening movement of the inlet valve. hen the inlet valve is wide open,the toggle, consisting of the link 25 and the members 23 and 21-, ismoved to a position close to the straight position and therefore thepressure of the spring 22 tending to close the valve is much reduced.The action of the spring at this time may be supplemented by a spring 31coiled about the valve stem 13 and coacting with a cap 32 mounted on thestem 13. The cap may be so positioned that when the inlet valve 11 isclosed, the cap is a substantial distance above the upper end of spring31. lVhen the inlet valve is opened, the cap is carried into engagementwith the upper end of the spring and then compresses the spring.Therefore, when the mechanism for positively opening the inlet valvepermits closing of that valve, spring 31 acts with the spring 22 toinitiate the closing movement of the valve by pressing upwardly on thecap 32 until the movement of the valve has progressed so far that thecap 32 is carried out of engagement with the end of' the spring.

It will be noted that the inlet valve 11 is of considerably greater arcathan the exhaust valve 12.

The operation of the parts as thus constructed will now be described.Fig. 1 shows the piston at the upper end of its range of movement andthe two valves 11 and 12 are closed. Assume now that the piston startson its downward movement on the inlet stroke. As the piston movesdownwardly it establishes a partial vacuum within the cylinder and nearthe end of the downward stroke the inlet valve 11 is opened. It may beopened by the suction thereon due to the partial vacuum existing withinthe cylinder and the inlet valve 11 will be so opened while the exhaustvalve 12 remains closed because of the substantially greater area of theinlet valve 11. It'the inlet valve is not opened by the suction thereonuntil the pisten 5 nears the end of its downward movement, the butter 20at the upper end of tube 18 will engage the head 17 of the rod 16 andpull that rod downwardly. The rod will then pull downwardly on thecross-head 15 whose ends engage the two valve stems and one of the stemsmust yield. This will result in positive opening of the inlet valve 11it, rather than the exhaust valve, will yield and be moved downwardly bythe cross-head 15. This movement of the inlet valve 11, whether effectedby suction thereon or by positive action of the rod 16 on crosshead 15,is accompanied by straightening 01" the toggle consisting of the link 25and the members 23 and 24, the members 23 and 24 telescoping more orless against the tension of spring 22. At the end of the downwardmovement of the piston this toggle will be nearly straight, as indicatedby the dotted line on Fig. 1. Therefore, when the piston starts on itsupward compression stroke and the buifer 20 at the upper end of tube 18is carried away from the head 17 of rod 16, the spring 22 will exert itstension to buckle the toggle and thereby raise the inlet valve 11 to theclosed position. Additionally, the spring 81 which is compressed duringthe latter part of the opening movement of the inlet valve, willsupplement the spring 22 during the first portion of the closingmovement of the inlet valve.

The inlet valve will therefore be closed at the beginning of thecompression stroke and both valves will remain closed during theremainder of this stroke. At or near the end of this compression strokethe fuel admitted to the cylinder is ignited and the piston startsdownwardly on its power stroke. As it nears the end of its down wardstroke the head 17 on red 16 is again engaged by the buffer at the upperendort tube 18 and wardly by the piston. At this time there is asubstantial pressure within the cylinder which is exerted upon the twovalvcs 11 and 12 and as the valve 11 is of so much greater;

area than the valve .12, opennig movement of the 11. Accordingly, thedownward pull? of main in the open position rod 16 is again pulled down;

the resistance to V exhaust valve 12 will be much less than that of theinletvalve haust valve 12, thecross-head 15 rocking on its pivotalconnection to the rod 16 in a direction opposite to that in which itrocked when the inlet valve was opened. This opening movement of theexhaust valve will be accompanied by straightening oi' the toggleconsisting of the link 27 and the members 23 and 2st, this movementbeing effected against the tension of spring 22 which is againcompressed as before. It will be noted, however, that the pivot of theouter end of link 27 is considerably higher. than the pivot of the outerend of link 25, and. therefore the same extent of downward movementofthe inlet valve will carry the toggle, consisting of link .27 andmembers 28 and 2%, across center, as is indicated by the dotted lines onFig. 1. Therefore, when the exhaust valve is thus opened, it willreuntil it is positively closed. This valve is opened near the end ofthe power stroke by the down ward pull of the piston on red 16 and itremains open while the piston moves upwardly on the exhaust stroke. Ator near the conclusion of the exhaust stroke the head 17 on rod 16 isengaged by the butler at the lower end of tube 18 and the rod 16 ispositively movedupwardly. At this time the inlet valve which is closedcannot be moved upwardly and therefore the exhaustvalvc 12 must be; Thefirst portion of this upward moven'lent of the exliaust valve carriesthe toggle back across center and as soon as it passes the center,spring 22 becomes efiec tive to buckle the toggle to the extentnecessary for carrying the exhaust valve 12 to the closed position. Thiscompletes the cycle of operations and restores the parts to theirinitial condition inreadiness for a repetition of the inlet stroke.

It will thus be seen that a single spring is made to serve the doublepurpose of closing both the inlet valve and the exhaust valve and thatthis is aecon'qiilished by an ranging the single spring horizontally atright angles to the axes of the stems olthe two valves. l urthermorc,this spring is arranged to actuate both oithc toggles which control themovement of the inlet and exhaust valves and the arrangement of theparts ot these toggles is suchthat the inlet valve is closedlllll'ilOlllflttllY on being released by the torcewhich opened it, whilethe exhaust valve, on the contrary is held in the open positionnwhen itis released by the opening gear until it is positively closed at, theproper time. This utilization of a sin: gle spring inboth of the twotoggles for controlling the action ot theitwo valves actuated directlyby the piston of the engine results in a substantial simplification ofthe mechanism for operating the valves and af fordsready means forholding the exhaust valve open a iter it has been opened throughout theexhaust stroke of the engine.

I claim:

1. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston is connected,inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder, a single spring for movingboth the inlet and the exhaust valves to their closed positions, and aconnection from the piston to the valves including a part reciprocateddirectly by the piston through which the piston opens the valvesalternately during successive revolutions of the engine shaft;substantially as described.

2. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, a piston, an engine shaft to Which the piston is connected,inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder, a single spring arranged atright angles to the stems of said valves for moving the valves to theclosed positions and connections from the piston to the valves throughwhich the piston opens the valves alternately during successive revolutions of the engine shaft; substantially as described.

3; A four-cycle internal combustion engme comprising the combination ofa cylinder, a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston is connected,a valve, a connection from the'piston to the valve whereby the valve isopened by the movement of the piston, and a toggle to which the valve isconnected and which is moved across center by the opening movement ofthe valve to hold the valve open until it is positively closed;substantially as described.

4-. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylin 'der, a piston, an engine shaft to, which the piston isconnected, an exhaust valve, a connection from the piston to the exhaustvalve, a pair of toggle members connected to the exhaust valve, and aspring acting on one of the toggle members; substantially as described.

5. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston is connected,inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder, toggles to which the valvesare connected, spring means for actuating the toggles, and connectionsfrom the plston to the valves through which the pis ton opens the valvesalternately during successive revolutions of the engine shaft;substantially as described. V

6. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the'combination ofacylinder a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston is connected,inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder, toggles to which the valvesare connected, a single spring actuating both of the toggles andconnections from the piston to the valves through which the piston opensthe valves alternately during successive revolutions of the engineshaft; substantially as described.

7. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected to theshaft and moving within the cylinder on suction, compression, power andexhaust strokes successively, inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder,spring means for moving the valves to the closed position, said meansbeing also ar ranged to hold the exhaust valve open when it has beenmoved to the open position, and connections from the piston to the inletand exhaust valves for operating the inlet valve in each suction strokeand the exhaust valve near the end of each power stroke in the operationof the engine; substantially as described.

8. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected to theshaft and moving within the cylinder on suction, compression, power andexhaust strokes successively, inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder,a single spring connected to both of the valves for moving them to theclosed position and a connection from the piston to the inlet andexhaust valves including a part reciprocated directly by the piston foroperating the inlet valve in each suction stroke and the exhaust valvenear the end of each power stroke in the operation of the engine;substantially as described.

9. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combination ofa cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected to theshaft and moving within the cylinder on. suction, compression, power andexhaust strokes successively, inlet 'and exhaust valves for thecylinder, a single spring arranged at right angles to the axes of saidvalves and acting on both of the valves to move them to the closedposition, and connections from the piston to the inlet and exhaustvalves for operating the inlet valve in each suction stroke and theexhaust valve near the end of each power stroke in the operation of theengine; substantially as described.

10. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylinder, a piston, inlet and exhaust valves, a con nection fromthe piston to the valves, two telescopic members connected to thevalves, a spring for extending said members and links pivotallyconnected to the valves, each forming with said telescopic members atoggle actuated by said spring; substantially as described.

11. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylin-" der, a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston isconnected, inlet and exhaust valves for the cylinder, a single springarranged at right angles to the stems of said valves for moving thevalves to the closed positions, and a connection to the valves operatedby the engine shaft in each rotation thereof for opening the valvesalternately during successive revolutions of the engine shaft under thecontrol of the pressure conditions existing within the cylinder,substantially as described.

12. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylinder, a piston, an engine shaft to which the piston isconnected, an inlet valve, an exhaust valve, a connection to the valvesoperated during each rotation of the engine shaft for opening the twovalves alternately in successive revolutions of the engine shaft, and atoggle connected to one of the valves and moved across center by theopening movement of the valve to hold the valve open until it ispositively closed; substantially as describe 13. A four-cycle internalcombustion engine comprising the combination of a eylinder, a piston, anengine shaft to which the piston is connected, inlet and exhaust valvesfor the cylinder, toggles to which the valves are connected, springmeans for actuating the toggles, and a connection to the two valvesoperated during each rotation of the engine shaft and opening the twovalves alternately during successive revolutions of the engine shaft;substantially as described.

14. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected tothe shaft and moving within the cylinder on suction, compression, powerand exhaust strokes successively, inlet and exhaust valves for thecylinder, spring means for moving the valves to the closed position,said means being also arranged to hold the exhaust valve open when ithas been moved to the open position, and a connection to the two valvesactuated once during each rotation of the engine shaft for opening theinlet valve in each suction stroke and the exhaust valve near the end ofeach power stroke in the operation of the engine; substantially asdescribed.

15. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected tothe shaft and moving within the cylinder on suction, compression, powerand exhaust strokes successively, inlet and exhaust valves for thecylinder, a single spring connected to both of the valves for movingthem to the closed position, and a connection to the inlet and exhaustvalves actuated under the control of the pressure conditions existingwithin the cylinder once during eaehrotation of the engineshaft andoperating the inlet valve in each suction stroke and the exhaust valvenear the end of each power stroke in the operation of the engine;substantially as described.

16. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising the combinationof a cylinder, an engine shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected tothe shaft and moving within the cylinder 011 suction, compression, powerand exhaust strokes successively, inlet and exhaust valves for thecylinder, a single spring arranged at right angles to the axes of saidvalves acting on both of the valves to move them to the closed position,and a connection to the two valves actuated under the control of thepressure conditions existing within the cylinder once during eachrotation of the engine shaft for operating the inlet valve in eachsuction stroke and the exhaust valve near the end of each power strokein the operation of the engine; substantially as described.

17. A four-cycle internal combustion e11- gine comprising thecombination of a cylinder, a piston, inlet and exhaust valves, twotelescopic members connected to the valves, a spring for extending saidmembers, links pivotally connected to the valves, each forming with saidtelescopic members a toggle aetuated by said spring, and means foractuating the two valves; substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

GREGORY J. SPOI-IRER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

